Sweet Release
by stopyourlollygagging
Summary: HAIATUS! Livia never intended on ever participating in the Hunger Games... too bad she is now.
1. Chapter 1

This morning's sunrise was a breathtaking display of radiant colors. Bright streaks of red, pink, and orange slowly overcame the dark blue and purple of the twilight sky. The sky resembled a prism; all the colors blended perfectly into each other. The sun itself was just peeking out of the horizon, and its brilliant rays already shined brightly and began to warm the air. I marvel at the glistening reflection of the sun on the ocean and a thrilling feeling of awe sweeps over me for a moment before feel it melt away. I have reached my destination – and it was going to be a more than unpleasant visit.

The old house belonged in a story book. Its roof is a thick thatch of straw and its walls are painted candy pink – it stands out in this part of town, where every other house is white and blue or grey. The square windows are mullioned and edged thickly in blue. It looks just about big enough for one old lady to live there, devoting her life to the little garden that lay about it. It hunkered low on the hill like a child in the elements trying to keep warm. Yet it looked alive and welcoming with a thin silver trail curling from the crooked stone chimney. I allow my fist to rap against the door three times slowly, waiting for her to respond.

"Yes?" she calls and I shake my head and push open the creaky door slightly to stick my head inside.

My grandmother sits in her chair at the window. It's not the most comfortable chair in the house; made of wicker with a floral cushion that is none too thick, but she says it has the best view. Perched there she observes the passersby and makes comments about whatever exciting thing she thinks they are off to do. She lives vicariously through these random strangers who will never know this sweet old girl that is hard of walking and hearing all at once. I watch her, face entranced, the morning light reflected off her tanned and wrinkled skin and the eyes that belie her eighty years. She has laughter lines from her gift for smiling easily, her personality is all there to read in those creases; she's no longer the blank page she was in her wedding pictures. Then her face takes on a look of delight, "Oh, a cup of tea m'dear, let's have tea."

I nod and scurry inside, helping her stand up a little straighter and ushering her to the adjoining kitchen.

I watch as she sweeps around the little room excitedly. We always had tea on a day like today. Always made in an old and chipped china pot, milk in a little jug, proper little cups. Then she shuffles over to the refrigerator and after some rummaging she brings out two chocolate éclairs. "Sedna brought them over last night." She whispers conspiratorially, with a slight wink.

"Remind me to thank her later." I smile, digging in my pocket to retrieve my find. "Look, I found these on the beach."

The seashells are light in my out-stretched palm. They're a semi-translucent white and although they were no bigger than the nail on my pinky, each one was a perfect spiral running from the tip to the opening at the base. I idly wondered what kind of creature had made them but I imagined that they once belonged to tiny sea-snails. Inside, the seashells were iridescent, shining with the colors of the ocean. Blues swirled with greens and shone prettily in the early morning sun. "Lovely, aren't they?"

"They would make a nice bracelet." My grandmother nods, patting my hand gently. "I hope you don't get picked today."

My face slackens again and I sigh, biting my lip as she places the tea in front of me. It's as pale as her hair and doesn't look appetizing but it's the most delicious thing I have here in District four. "Me too, Gran, me too."

"What time does it start?" she asks, biting into the éclair.

I glance outside the window and see that the sun is almost halfway up in the sky. "In an hour."

"This is your final year." She says, like it's a fact but with a shake of my head her eyes grown weary and I see the moisture building inside them. "Seventeen? I was married at seventeen."

This startles me. Gran never talked about my grandfather willingly. Since I could remember, she had always avoided the subject of 'Old Man Leith' because he had died in the Uprising against the Capitol… Murdered by Coriolanus Snow himself.

"Of course, things were different back then. You weren't sure of the next day as you are now," she went on absently.

"Unless you're between the ages of twelve and eighteen…" I mutter, causing her to chuckle and pat my hand again. "I'd best be going, Gran, I'll see you tomorrow… hopefully."

She nods and lifts her teacup to her lips as she shuffles back to her old wicker chair, plops down with a weary groan and continues to stare at the people passing her window; on their way to the Town Centre as glumly as if it were a funeral procession.

I suppose for two families, it might feel like that today. I wonder for a moment, as I close the door to the candy pink house behind me, if my mother is at home or already standing amongst the throngs of worried parents then I glance up at the sky and gasp. I'll be late if I don't hurry now.

I bolt down the garden path like a woman possessed, shells still clutched tightly in my sweaty hand. With another glance at the sky I pick up my pace to an all out sprint as the music from the Capitol ends. The slapping noise of my sandals resonates around the vandalized walls of the housing estate with a clanging echo and I burst through an alleyway just as our District escort asks if there are any female volunteers. Every eye in the Square turns to face me as the escort, a woman with startlingly big brown eyes starts clapping excitedly and telling the Peacekeepers to help me onto the stage. I struggle in their grasp and see the sympathetic faces of the children around me; I had just made it look like I had volunteered for the fifteen year old girl coming off stage with tears in her eyes.

"What is your name, da'ling." Says the scary woman brightly, making me jump.

I want to shake my head, to tell them that they've made a mistake but I glance again at the face of the girl and swallow as she buries her face in her sister's shoulder.

"Liv-Livia." I whisper hoarsely, not taking my eyes off the little girl and her sister. "Livia Leith."

"Well, Livia Leith that was a _very_ brave thing to do! I'll bet that Sedna greatly appreciates your val'ant contribution." Says the escort whose name I still don't know; or care to know. "Now, for the boys."

I watch as she trots across the stage, still smiling brightly at her crowd, before dipping a manicured nail into the giant glass ball and snatching the first name her dark fingers touch. My body starts going numb as I listen to the annoying '_click click click click_' of her heels against the floor, making her way back to the microphone. I scan the faces of the boys, trying to identify someone I know but there is no one… I don't know them personally.

"Kai Pultz."

A woman in the crowd starts screaming hysterically, causing a few people to hold her down and away from the always simmering Peacekeepers. She loves her son – that much is clear – but I have to keep from crying as I see a thirteen year old boy stumble onto the stage. He's a scrawny child with bony arms and shoulders and twigs for legs and I recognize him as the boy that works afternoons in the docks for extra money. Kai Pultz… Kai.

"Are there any male volunteers?" asks the escort, hope in her voice as her brown eyes flit towards me for a moment, but she's met with silence and shuffling and another scream from his mother. My face is sopping wet from tears by now, but I don't wipe them away because my arms won't move. I watch the crowd, looking for my mother frantically even though she would be granted time to see me soon. Their faces stare back at me, some worried and some sad and some angry. They are dispersed and I watch as they file out of the square. They move like a multi-headed beast that share only one brain. Their thoughts are in lock-step as much as their feet. Hardly a person in the crowd had never known a person who had been murdered, almost no-one had not known someone to die at the hands of a Peacekeeper's whip and not a single person knew anyone who had not died of disease. They all knew someone who had healthcare needs not being met, they all knew kids who weren't fed right and went to a bad school. They all stepped past homeless people on the way to their homes… and yet they still complied. We all complied.

"Come kiddies… We only have one and a half hours before the train leaves." Says the escort with a smile, pushing us in front of her and into the Justice Building.

I had hardly entered the room I had been allocated when my mother bursts in and yanks me into her chest, my father surprisingly behind her.

"I thought you had went out this morning." I mumble to him, watching his face sadden and his head shake a negative. "They pulled you back?"

"Yes." says my mother, teary-eyed and sniffling. "Why did you volunteer, Liv?"

I shake my head, "I didn't. I was late and arrived when that woman asked for volunteers… I wanted to tell them no but I saw that it had been Sedna's name out of the bowl and I couldn't. I couldn't let her in there, mom. She's so kind to Gran and so fragile."

My father heaves a heavy sigh and pulls me into his broad chest, shaking his head and kissing the top of mine. I know what he means: '_Always the smallest heart._'

"I couldn't let her die… because she would have. With her condition." I reiterate firmly to my mother, who's looking angry. "Eryn and I vowed to protect her always… if I hadn't 'volunteered', mom, Eryn would have and then I would feel even worse."

I feel my father nod above me and then pull back, giving me a fierce look and touching my temple.

"I'm smart? I don't know how to fight, dad, I can't fight…"

He sighs and shakes his head, tapping to my heart and then my head before mouthing. '_Smart._'

I open my mouth to respond to him but the door opens and the Peacekeeper starts usshering them away and I'm crying again and my mother is sobbing and my father just keeps mouthing 'smart'. They're gone. This might have been the last time I would ever see them and I didn't even say 'I love you' once. Not once.

"Livia?"

My head snaps up and I watch as Sedna bursts into the room like the six year old she thinks she is and pulls me in for a hug. Even though she's two years younger than I am, she is as tall and lanky as her sister – taller than me.

"Thank you." She mutters, "Thank you."

"Yes." I say, patting her back awkwardly. "Of course, for you… always."

She pulls back and her face contorts angrily, "Not right! Wrong to let people kill!"

"Sed." I hadn't even noticed Eryn until she spoke to her sister now. She's a good head taller than me and as skinny as a fish bone but she's strong enough to join her and my father on the boats to haul up the fish. "Pretty words. Remember, we talked about this."

Sedna nods guiltily and digs something from her pocket. It's an antique silver bracelet with a few charms hanging from the chain and I immediately start shaking my head.

"You'll upset her if you don't take it." Eryn whispers, grimacing sadly as Sedna starts clasping the thing around my wrist whilst whispering unintelligible words to no one in particular.

"You're safe. You'll be safe now." she finally says with a childish smile that I can't return. I blink back tears and pull her closer, staring at Eryn sadly over her shoulder. "Safe. You'll be safe.

No. I probably won't. I am now a tribute in the 48th Hunger Games.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't stop to wave at the people at the station. I'm too overwhelmed.

After Sedna and Eryn had been escorted out of the room, I had been left on my own. I thought about what my grandmother had said and how I had said that I would see her tomorrow. I wouldn't. I couldn't.

I glance about my surroundings and spot a deep chair the colour of a grape before sagging into it and waiting for the train to move. The car is luxuriously decorated and well put together – team work between Districts 1, 3 and 6.

"You know, you're awf'lly rude." I ignore the escort and turn away, resting my chin on my knees. "I don't understand why you're _so_ depressed all of a sudden. You did volunteer."

"No." I snap. "I showed up to The Reaping late and you just assumed that I had volunteered, miss."

There is a heavy silence that follows and I risk a glance her way. It's the first time I actually get to really look at her and I don't like what I see. The top half of her dress is almost see through, showing the black undergarments that stand out against her dark honey dyed skin and the bottom half can only be described as the colour of sick and grass. Her hair is as red as blood and hangs loosely around her shoulders, secured with a ridiculous pink hair band.

"She's just upset." I hear him say, Kai. "We're both upset and you would do well to remember that before calling anybody _rude_."

My eyes snap in his direction and I almost smile at him. Almost.

"Well," she says in a higher than usual tone of voice. "I'll just go fetch Rieth and Magret then."

"Already here." The voice is unexpected. It's low, with an agreeable trace of huskiness and with a hint of more power than the frail body would suggest. Magret Cohen and Rieth Oddman are smiling at the both of us from the door that joins two compartments – they look mad.

With a nod, the escort rushes from the room; she's muttering angrily under her breath words that I can't catch but Rieth suddenly chuckles and I know it must not have been nice things.

Magret, on the other hand, has taken a seat across from me and is staring at me critically. There was something solemn swimming in her eyes. Their stunning, deep blue held a truth that her face could not hide. The despairing chill that they convey made me feel heartbroken. I look away; I can't bear it. A tear rolls down my cheek. I didn't feel it, but I can feel her finger wiping it away. I think of what had happened. Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while so that we can see with a clearer view again, so putting my hand on her arm, I gave a small, hopefully encouraging smile. She smiles back, and in that moment, I know that maybe everything was going to be alright.

"Don't worry about Alisma." Rieth pipes up suddenly. "Those people haven't the faintest idea what it feels like to sit where you are now…"

Alisma. I commit the name to my memory and nod at my male Mentor. His face is younger than Magret's but marred by a single scar from his temple to the corner of his mouth – a farewell token from District 2. His eyes are almost the exact shade of his dark skin but they hold a lightness to them.

"How about we get you settled into your sleeping quarters before we watch the rest of The Reapings?" Magret smiles, squeezing my hand lightly and helping me up. "You're tiny for a seventeen year old."

"I get told that a lot." I mumble. "By everyone."

Kai chuckles and I glare at him, ending his noise efficiently as Rieth trots us down a hallway with doors on either side. "Sorry."

I shake my head at him.

"You'll be resting across the hall from each other." Magret says quickly. "Livia on the left and Kai, you're on the right. Change, rest… do whatever you'd like. We'll fetch you in an hour."

Without saying a word, I slip into my room and close the door before swallowing thickly and sliding down to the floor with a dull thud. This is the beginning of the end of my life.

With a shake of the head to clear my thoughts, I stand up to inspect my room and find a closet filled with exceptional clothes. I paw through the material and come up with a pair of comfortable loose fitting black pants and a white shirt.

* * *

><p>The compartment that holds the television isn't any less lavish than the others but I find it hard to enjoy it seeing as when I arrived, the only open spot was right next to Alisma. She didn't acknowledge my presence and I ignored her, choosing rather to make small talk with Magret instead. Mags, as she's known by everyone in the District, won the 10th Games and has lived in the Victors Village for almost thirty eight years. She has been mentoring new tributes for all that time – including Rieth.<p>

I am mid sentence when the sound of Caesar Flickerman interrupts me and Alisma shushes all of us urgently.

"Well," says Caesar excitably. "It _has_ certainly been a very eventful Reaping this year."

"Yes, Caesar." Agrees his co-host, Terra Chlodowech, with a bright smile and a wave of her hand. Her hair is piled higher than usual this year and dyed a ridiculous shade of yellow. Caesar's hair, lips and eyelids are a pale saffron colour; he too looks very ridiculous. "Yes, especially for Districts 2 and 4! Three volunteers…"

Caesar chuckles and glances at Terra fleetingly, "Amazing dedication!"

I scoff silently and receive a glare from Alisma, clearly telling me to shut my mouth tightly. I don't like this woman one bit.

"District one are looking very good this year, even though there are no volunteers." Terra smiles as they show a blonde pair by the name of Bastion and Daria. She looks small and frail next to him but I don't pay them any mind.

District 2's tributes are both volunteers and I sit up straighter when the boy – Finn – steps onto stage. The boy wore a loose black silk shirt with leather cuffs and black trousers. However, he got better the more I looked. His rich bronze hair had a tousled griminess from making bricks and promised finesse. He had strong arched brows and eyelashes so thick, it could be illegal. And then his eyes - they were deep and catastrophic, a vivid baby blue as a great body of water that softly melted into a milky green. And for a moment I thought I could see the flecks of silver in his eyes. He had distinct cheekbones and an angular jaw, his pale skin made him look devilishly handsome.

"He's dangerous." I hear Rieth say clearly as Alisma starts gushing about his beauty. "You'd both do well to stay away from him."

He knows about my interest. He saw it in my eyes and Magret did too because she's giving me a disparaging look.

The District 3 tributes are as average as Kai and I but Terra tears up when the camera pans to my tear-streaked face staring at Sedna. "Such bravery…"

And then they show Kai and his mothers' screaming and I have to pull him in for a hug because his own shoulders are shaking. Alisma stares at us for a moment before standing up abruptly leaves the room, muttering under her breath again.

"She's supposed to help us with our appearance?" I question, frowning at the door through which she had left. "She can't stand us."

"I don't think its that, dear." says Magret kindly. "This is her first year as District 4 escort… she must be just as overwhelmed as you two are."

Kai has settled against my shoulder but instead of sobs, quiet snores leave his mouth and Rieth heaves himself off the sofa and lifts him into his arms. "You'd better get some rest as well… we'll be there in about five hours and you'll need all the sleep you can find once we're at the Capitol."

"What about the other Reapings?" I ask perplexedly.

Magret stands and pulls me to my feet, "We'll talk after the Parade."

The bed in my room is softer than the sea sand at home and it takes less than a minute for me to fall into an almost peaceful sleep. When I wake up again, it's to find Mags digging through my closet.

"Hello." I mumble sleepily, smiling at her as she stands back to stare at me. "Are we almost there?"

"In an hour." She nods. "I asked Alisma to make you look nice for the arrival but she refused so now I have to put my little knowledge of fashion to use."

"I'll just wear what I am now…"

"It's wrinkled and doesn't represent the approach we're going for…" She turns back to my closet and pulls out a bright turquoise dress that would fall to below my knees. "I take it that you haven't much worn high heels?"

"Never." I admit, eyeing the pair in her hands sceptically. "I doubt that I can."

"I'll let Rieth walk beside you, just in case."

And then I'm sitting in front of the vanity with Mags behind me as her fingers work my hair into a tight braid at the back of my head as she coaches me through how to act around the crowd at the train station.

Don't look anyone directly in the eye. Stay close to Rieth and Kai but don't touch them. Chin up but don't look arrogant – that's for District 1 and 2 – and above all… Smile.

"It'll look fake." I protest as soon as she says it, earning a gentle tap on the shoulder with the hairbrush. "It will!"

"Then think of something happy." Mags says sternly. "You have to smile… We're playing humble, remember."

"When I have to smile when I don't want to, I usually picture small puppies in a teacup." A soft voice from the door makes both Magret and I jump. Alisma has changed her outfit as well and her hair has been piled onto the top of her head in tight coils that suit her well. "Or kittens, whichever you prefer."

I stare at her in bewilderment as she moves to stand beside me, fingering the make-up brushes there nervously.

"Rieth got to you?" Mags asks softly, causing Alisma to nod once.

"He berated me like I was a two year old." She sighs, biting her lip and glancing at me. "But he is right and I am sorry for being the way I was."

I shrug and finger the hem of my dress, lamenting the awkward silence in the room. "No matter."

Her face brightens into a smile and she clears her throat quickly. "We're almost there. So just remember what Magret told you and think of small animals in a teacup."

I nod once more and watch her leave before sharing an apprehensive look with Mags through the reflection of the mirror.

* * *

><p>I hate plutocratic, skin-ripping, loud and funny talking Capitolians!<p>

My prep team is mean and I'm sure that whenever they leave the room they go to laugh at my wincing and whining. Leto is the worst. He's in charge of tearing all the hair on my body – except my head and eyebrows – from their follicles. He scares me too. His hair is pitch black but shines blue when he steps into the bright light hanging over me and he has an entire array of tattoos where his own eyebrows once were. His clothes stand out against the stark white of the walls; light blue and heavily embroidered blouse, red pants, and a pair of yellow suede shoes.

"One more. I'll count three this time…" He grins to me, showing off a pair of sharpened incisors that make me close my eyes as quickly as I opened them. "Three!"

Searing fiery bursts pulsate around the now smooth patch of skin, intensifying with each small movement, jarring and brutal.

"OUCH!"

"Oh, heavens, we have a screamer again," says one of the others. A pale pink woman who I want to slap from my position on the table but I don't – I don't want to get into trouble.

"Hush, Veridie." Leto snaps, shaking his head. I watch as, for the first time, the dark ink across his eyebrow bone dips lower and I guess that he's frowning.

"Am I done?" I ask after a full two minutes of silence and buffing.

"Almost." When he says this, Veridie turns on her heel and exits the room. "Cottyn is on her way."

"My stylist?"

He nods and I close my eyes again as he applies a cold and sticky substance to my feet 'to remove the hideous layer of calluses'.

Ten minutes later I'm standing in a silky robe in the centre of the room with Leto in front of me, grinning like a fool. "Perfection."

"Not yet."

Cottyn Evyle is a five-foot one woman with paper white hair as straight as a razor to the curve of her backside. Her skin differs from her hair by one shade, causing the crimson stain on her lips to pop out vividly. She doesn't wear much other make-up except for a thick line of black across her top eyelid and very pale pink blush but her clothes make her stand out. She is dressed completely in black synthetic leather that squeaks when she takes a step and her shoes look like they're on the wrong way 'round. She's even scarier than Leto.

"You did a very good job though, Leto." Her voice sounds predatory. Huskier than Magret's and much less friendly.

"Hello." I try but her hand shoots up and silence fills the room as her eyes rake over me.

"You're tinier than the others." She says. "The other District 4 girls are usually much taller and thinner."

I blush and look at the ground but a sharp object is trust under my chin and it forces my gaze upward, to Cottyn's eyes. "You don't look down. You're humble to be here but not shy... "

I nod and swallow thickly as she taps my nose with a sharp black nail an turns to face Leto. "Go fetch the outfit and drag Clio and Veridie to dye her hair and paint her nails."

"D-Dye my hair?" I gasp; eyes wide and questioning.

"Relax, m'love, it washes out on the first try…" she laughs. "How do you think our hair color changes every day?"

I relax slightly and Leto exits the room, leaving me alone with the Stylist.

"You hungry?" she asks, strolling over to a small table in the room and pressing a button to allow the top to slide open and reveal a hearty looking meal. It looks like barbequed ox with pistachios and oranges on a bed of sliced potatoes, diced sea kale and olives. There is a side dish with aged cheese and something my District calls lavash – a sauce made from crushed sea urchin and wine. "Dig in."

"I'm not hungry, thank you." My grimace must help with my argument because Cottyn just shrugs and with another press of a button, the food is sent away and she's sitting down in a chair.

"You're different from last year's girl." She says sullenly. "Of course, you did volunteer but its not that… you have something else in your eyes."

"I'm terrified." I try but she just laughs and shakes her head at me. "Then I don't know what it is that you see, Miss Evyle, because I don't know what else to feel besides utter terror."

There's a knock on the door before she can reply and Alisma peeks her head in, "A fish tail, Cottyn, really?"

I frown and glance back at my stylist as she sighs and rises to her feet once more. "She'll look beautiful in it." Her voice sounds annoyed and her eyes are flashing at the escort angrily. "Have you seen the boy's outfit? He's a thirteen year old… shouldn't be shirtless!"

"You're stuffing Livia into a fishtail and a bra!" Alisma exclaims, her face turning a violent shade of red. "It's ridiculous."

"Alisma…" I mumble quietly, sensing Cottyn's outburst and shaking my head at her. "I like fish…"

Her brown eyes bore into mine with just as much anger before she huffs and retreats just as my prep team bring in the outfit.

Veridie is instantly tugging at my hair and applying something that smells like kelp to my scalp and Leto's fidgeting with my nails. The last girl, Clio, is staring at my face and I can't help but blush as her pink eyes sweep me from head to toe before nodding and turning to a large box that she had brought into the room with her.

"So I'm a fish woman then?" I ask, looking at Cottyn as she adjusts and readjusts a glimmering purple bustier. There are various seashells near the bottom of it and two chains that will fall across my torso and for the first time since I met Alisma, I agree with her. I don't say this, however, for fear of the dangerous look in Cottyn's eyes when Alisma had insulted her.

The word '_mermaid'_ is her only reply.


	3. Chapter 3

_"__Look at her."_

_"__What is that?"_

_"…__Cottyn Evyle."_

"Can you make them stop staring at me?" I growl under my breath as we make our way through a gigantic stable at the bottom level of the Remake Centre. Every other tribute is staring at me like I've gone mad and I want to strangle all of them whilst screaming that it wasn't my idea to look like this.

"No." says Leto. "If they're staring at you then it means we've done our job… it means that the people who are most likely going to _sponsor_ you in the arena are going to be doing the exact same thing. Staring is good."

Our carriage is four feet away when someone bumps into me and sends me flying face first to the floor. The tail doesn't much help my flailing and I wince when my right shoulder makes a sickening crunch against the concrete. Fantastic.

"Livia! Oh gracious!" Leto yells and is on top of me in an instant, dragging me upright and examining my face. "Are you all right?"

"My shoulder…" I hiss, glancing at the limp limb before looking away as a bout of nausea hits me and I swallow back the contents of my stomach. "I think my shoulder is dislocated…"

"The healers are on their way." Says someone who sounds like Cottyn but when I glance up, I see someone who looks exactly like her – dressed in exactly the opposite clothes as my stylist.

"My twin," says Cottyn from my right and I blink slowly as I stare at the crowd around me. Some of the tributes like Bastion and the girl from District 2 are trying not to laugh, but the rest are all still just staring at me.

"Out of the way!" a deep voice calls and several people dressed in white rush through the gap in the circle and immediately set about examining me. The woman directly in front of me smiles and gently touches my arm, making me pull back quickly.

"It's all right. I'm just going to put it back in its place… just focus on my face." I nod and stare at her as her fingers encircle my upper arm. She has wolfish amber eyes like pools of gold that adorn her exceptionally pale face and long, dark purple hair that tumbles over her shoulders like a fountain, an aquiline nose, and chalky lips that looked like they were blue with cold. All in all, she looks like a ghost; a very solid one.

"All set." She murmurs and I have to blink because I didn't feel a thing. She puts a white pill into my palm and orders me to swallow it before offering me a smile and then disappearing with the rest of her team.

"You didn't even flinch!" Veridie cries, helping Leto and Clio lift me to my feet and adjust my outfit. The crowd had been dispersed but I can still feel their eyes on me and I don't like it.

Cottyn orders Leto to help me onto the carriage next to Kai and then hops on after me, raking her fingers through my hair one last time and readjusting the straps of my top before winking at me and disappearing from my view.

I glance back at Kai and smile at him tightly because he looks so tense. He's shirtless, just like Cottyn said, but he has a fishnet over his torso and some sort of heavy looking necklace made from long shells.

I cringe as the music begins. It's so loud that I have to focus on my heart beat to try and drown it out. The massive doors ahead of us slide open and the crowd immediately starts losing their minds with excitement. These chariot rides last around twenty minutes and then we finish at the City Circle, where President Snow will welcome us, they play the anthem, and then we're escorted into the Training Center.

The tributes from District 1 ride out in a chariot pulled by snow-white horses, just like every other year. Bastion and Daria look so uncomfortable. District 1 makes luxury items for the Capitol so, naturally, they're adorned with heavy and expensive fabrics and hundreds, if not thousands, of sparkling jewels.

My eyes flit to the next chariot, District 2's, and I gulp at the sight of Finn. He's dressed in tight black pants and a brown peasant's shirt, he has make-shift masonry tools strapped to the belt around his waist and his arms are crossed firmly against his chest; he's also scowling at everything. He's much larger than he looked on the Reaping video.

"Remember what Rieth said." Kai whispers to me over the din of the crowd and I nod, averting my eyes from their chariot and concentrating on getting through this very first ordeal in front of the Capitol people.

Our four horses, a warm chestnut colour with blue patterns resembling seaweed, jolt the chariot forward and I immediately clutch the sides to steady my already weak legs.

I lift my chin a bit higher, try to plaster on my most engaging smile, and loosen my left hand to wave. Every eye is suddenly on us, pulling the focus from the three chariots ahead of us. I catch sight of us on a large television screen and am stunned by how strange I look.

The lights above us dance from the glittering bodice and shells on my torso and cast rainbows on Kai's face, lightening it too somehow. My hair is hanging loose around my face in emerald green curls, offsetting the purple of the tail-like skirt around the lower half of my body. I feel a flicker of hope rising up in me and try to make eye contact with as much of the people we're passing as possible, hoping that they remember my face enough to at least consider giving me a sponsorship in the arena. Kai is doing the exact same thing but with a little more boyish flare than me – blowing kisses to the brightly dressed women in the crowd and collecting as much of the flowers they toss at him as he can. He's the most charming District 4 tribute I've ever seen.

All too soon the twelve chariots encircle the City Circle and I'm left breathless and panting from waving too much. Every window on the buildings that surround the Circle is packed with Capitol citizens, all waving and pointing and smiling like crazy fools. Our horses pull our chariot right up to President Snow's mansion, and we stop and wait. The president, a small, thin man with greying black hair, gives the official welcome from a balcony above us. And just like that, my smile is gone and I'm glowering at him. The camera catches my look and zooms in on my face, causing a murmur to ripple through the watching crowd. Kai nudges me and I glance his way quickly with a shake of my head.

When the anthem plays, they cut around to each pair of tributes one final time before we all disappear into the Training Center forty-five minutes after we first entered. The doors shut behind us and Kai and I are engulfed by the prep teams, who are virtually incomprehensible as they babble about unimportant things. I glance around, I notice that Finn and a lot of the other tributes are shooting me curious looks but my attention is pulled away when Alisma steps forward and pulls me into the tightest hug I've ever encountered. She's strong for such a petite woman.

"Well done." She says jovially, probably on a high from the applause we had gotten. "And I must admit, Cottyn, I hated Livia's costume at first but so many of my friends loved it… Good job."

Cottyn offers her a tight smile, like mine to Kai earlier, and turns on her heel before disappearing towards the elevators and with a click of her fingers, Leto and Veridie are with her.

Mags smiles at me and puts an arm around my shoulders, leading me towards the elevators. "Very nice, pumpkin, just keep _that_ up all the way through to the interviews and we'll do just fine,"

"We're stay'ng on the fourth floor…" Alisma says as soon as we reach the mechanical doors and step inside along with two tributes dressed in mining gear and looking miserable as their escort, a tall and sea green man babbles on about their manners.

"District 12, right?" I ask the boy, who is as tall as me with dark hair and greyish eyes.

He nods but doesn't say a thing, instead choosing to glance down at the little girl at his side who could be his twin – and to my horror, I realise that she might _really_ be his sister.

The elevator dings softly and I'm suddenly dragged out by the arm, staring at the brother and sister helplessly as they disappear behind the silver doors.

"They're related?" I wonder aloud in a breathy voice, unable to look any one in the eye. "They're related and now they have to go into an arena and attempt to kill each other."

"Don't think about them now," Rieth says. "Let's all just get cleaned up first and then we'll have a nice dinner, all right?"

"Yeah, they don't matter right now." Kai says loudly, shrugging it off as if it were the weather we were discussing. "We're gonna probably kill them in a week anway…"

I look at Kai and frown instantly, shoving past him and Rieth on my way to the hallway I presume holds our rooms and making sure to slam the door as loudly and forcefully as I can manage.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Mags knocks on my door and requests that I join them for dinner in ten minutes. Her tone is soft but I can hear the command in her voice so I pull myself out of bed and go to wash my face and change from my unclothed state into something more appropriate for dinner.<p>

The room is silent and tense as I enter and I can sense that Mags and Rieth had had an argument by the sudden stiff and formal manner in which they're acting around each other and Kai won't look me in the eye. Alisma is the only one thinking about puppies in teacups because she pulls out a chair next to her and offers me some stew and fresh vegetables.

Cottyn and Kai's stylist, Ammon, show up just as dinner is being served. Cottyn and Ammon, who I've found out, are in a relationship, help to ease the tension in the room. Because now at least Mags and Rieth addressing each other decently. And they both have nothing but praise for our stylists. While everyone else makes small talk, I concentrate on the meal. Fermented Trout with Head Cheese and Almond Tarts, Stuffed Bell Pepper and Roast Beef on a bed of Squash and, my favourite, Sweet Cod with a side of Roasted Grapefruit The servers, all young people dressed in white tunics, move noiselessly around us, keeping the platters and glasses full.

I feel the table jerk and look up to find Rieth glaring at Alisma angrily, bread roll poised to throw when he catches my eye and smiles sheepishly.

"Do you boys have anything to say?" Mags enquires nonchalantly, earning confused glances from Cottyn and Ammon.

Rieth clears his throat and bites his lip for a moment before opening and closing his mouth a few times, reminding me of the live fish my father sometimes brings back from the boats.

"I think what he's meaning to say," Alisma chirps, "is that they're sorry for saying such imbecilic things to upset you earlier."

"And that it won't happen again." Kai says softly, avoiding my eyes like he would turn to stone if he looked into them.

"I'm not angry anymore…" I say calmly, "Just lightly simmering and I doubt that it'll change with a few words that Alisma and Mags has forced you to say."

Cottyn chuckles softly, "Fiery… it's the same look she gave-"

"Cottyn!" Ammon says quickly, touching her hand and looking at her with a warning in his eyes. "Rather not bring up such things at this moment…"

She nods and looks back to me with a small smile, "I'd like to see some of that fire in the arena, all right?"

I nod silently and turn my attention back to my food, set on ignoring everybody for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Pictures of Livia and Kai's outfits are in links on my profile page if you're interested. **

**Thank you for reading this and I _really_ hope you enjoy reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it. Please leave a review - constructive criticism above yelling and cussing at me, please.**

**Love,**

**Nikki**


	4. Chapter 4

When bedtime finds me, I'm spread out on my bed like a starfish. Just staring at the ceiling as if it'd take me anywhere I wish to be; and right now that place is home. I long to be back in District 4 with my parents and the ocean in the background and the near permanent smell of brine in the air. My face is once again wet with tears. They roll silently to my cracked lips, salty and cold. The ache of longing to be with my family echoes through the very marrow of my bones. It's an icy wind trapped in the chambers of my heart. With every spare moment my mind is rehearsing a new letter to them. Time slows to such a leisurely pace and it seems so very cruel to me, ringing out the seconds as if to taunt me and rub more salt in my wounds. I never knew that missing someone could take over every fiber of your being and wring you out like a wet sponge. It is a torment I'm unprepared for.

Before long, I'm heaving up all my dinner into the toilet and wishing I could just drop dead on the spot and that's how Kai finds me; curled around the foot of where my dinner had been disposed of, sobbing into my arms.

He nudges my arm gently and I shoot up, startling him so much that he stumbles backwards and falls into the large bathtub behind him that I had filled earlier and forgotten about. The water makes an enormous splash against the granite floor. I'm up and at his side in an instant, only to find him laughing hysterically.

"Are you crazy?" I ask in disbelief, watching his bony body ripple with laughter. There are tears streaming down his face – or it could be water from the bath – and his smile is the biggest I've seen since the day of the Reaping.

"No." he chuckles, "It's just that it was kind of fun, you know?"

I scoff and offer him my hand to pull him out of the tub but instead of coming out, he yanks my arm and pulls me in with him – cackling manically at my shocked face.

"You're a jerk, Kai!" I yell, wiping my face with my hand and falling back against the edge of the tub angrily, waiting for his laughing to stop.

Half a minute later, he's smiling at me brightly and I can't help but smile back because he's an idiot.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier." He declares quietly, "I don't know what I was thinking when I said it… and I'm sorry for upsetting you."

I feel the sadness seep into my expression and sigh, "I was being overemotional but just thinking about them… having to do what they're going to have to do, it's sad."

"I asked Alisma about them and she told me that they're not related but they did grow up together so they might as well be." Kai intones, biting his lip. "I can't imagine it… knowing-"

"Yes." I interrupt him quickly because I don't want to hear him say it.

I fold my knees under my chin and stare at the pristine white of the tub. The silence is almost comfortable, a silence between two not quite friends. The warmth of companionship, rather than the noise of chattering incessantly.

Mags comes in some time later and berates us for sitting in the cold water for so long but I ignore her numbly as she shoos Kai from the room and orders me to strip my clothes and place them on the countertop as she searches for something for me to wear to bed.

"You have a busy say tomorrow. You'll start training and I want you in the dining room promptly at eight."

I nod at her absently and yank on the light blue, cotton pants she's shoved into my arms followed by a matching shirt. I blink at her silently, wondering where the sweet woman from the train had suddenly disappeared to but then I see the time and realize that I would have been as angry as a bear too if I'd been chased out of bed by the sounds of two kids splashing about in a bathtub at this hour.

She nudges me towards the bed and I instantly curl into a ball, allowing her to tuck me in and then leave the room without another word. It takes a while but eventually sleep finds me and I dream about rocking boats and blue-green eyes.

* * *

><p>Magret must have set an alarm because I'm awoken by an annoying '<em>beep beep beep<em>' from somewhere in the room. It's a grating sound but I can't find the strength in my body to lift my arm and quiet the thing so I groan and roll over, glaring at the contraption angrily.

I haul myself out of bed with more than enough effort and into the shower because I don't have time for a bath like I usually do. I had asked Alisma to show me the simplest settings to clean myself but in my stupor I press the wrong button and end up screeching as I'm assaulted by steaming hot water. Then I press the soap button too long and suddenly covered in mint scented foam.

The matt outside the shower makes me jump as it suddenly sends jets of air at my body and hair to dry and fluff it neatly.

When I'm nicely dry and satisfactorily clean, I find that an outfit has been left for me at the foot of my bed. I cringe at the tight black pants, resembling those that Cottyn had worn the first time I had met her, a tight-fitting black shirt with sleeves that end at the elbows, and nice leather shoes. I pull my hair up into a neat bun at the top of my head and check my appearance.

I check the clock and sigh when I realize that Mags set the alarm to an hour earlier than I had to meet everyone but I'm hungry so I head down to the dining room anyway. A long board off to the side has been laid with at least twenty dishes. A young man stands at attention by the spread and smiles at me warmly as I approach. When I ask if I can serve myself, he nods assent. I load my plate with peaches, biscuits and gravy, pancakes and syrup and apricots, and some more of last night's sweet cod. As I gorge myself, I watch the sun rise over the Capitol. I have a second plate of chocolate pancakes and syrup. Finally, I fill a plate with cookies and sit at the table, dipping them into my coffee.

My mind wanders to my mother and father again. They'll be up around this time. My mother eating breakfast of left over fish and some of our grain whilst planning out her day at the shop. Dad has long since gone to the boats to catch his daily regimen of fish. Just two mornings ago, I was home. What did they say last night about my debut at the Games? Dad would have closed his eyes and shook his head at my half naked torso but what about my mother?

Mags and Rieth come in, followed by Kai, and bid me happy _good morning's_. I watch them all silently fill their plates. Kai is wearing a pair of pants similar to mine but he's wearing a green shirt with white accents.

I'm nervous about the training we'll start today.

We'll have three days in which all the tributes practice together to learn as much as we can before being thrust into the arena together. On the last afternoon, we'll each get a chance to perform in private before the Gamemakers. The thought of meeting the other tributes face-to-face makes me slightly queasy and suddenly the cookie in my hand is less than appetising.

When Rieth has finished several platters of mutton stew and rolls, he pushes back his plate with a sigh. "First off, Mags and I will be training you both separately."

I nod solemnly and feel Kai's gaze against the side of my face. "So we'll be focussing on our skills?"

Mags nods and replies before Rieth can, "Yes. You can tell us now, if you'd like, or we can go discuss it somewhere privately."

"I don't have any skills worth mentioning." Kai shrugs. "I'm good at lifting things but I doubt it'll help me with anything in the arena."

"Neither do I." I agree. "I've only been helping my mother in the shop with the hooks and knots-"

"That's perfect." Mags smiles, "If you know knots when you'll fare well in Snare-setting and fishing for food…"

"If you bulk up and train with the instructors, you could do nicely in Hand-to-Hand combat and if you have a knife, all the better." Rieth says to Kai and I smile at him with a nod.

"We should head down…" Mags says after a few more seconds of silence. "Just, both of you, remember not to linger at _one_ station for too long to make the other tributes think you're very good at it, all right?"

We nod our assent and follow our Mentor's to the elevator. Kai's wearing a thoughtful look and I know he's as worried as I am about the Career Tributes. District 1 and 2 has always been known for excelling in the Games because they secretly get training in order to win and stay Capitol favorites. That's why so many of them volunteer – out of confidence that they'll win. District 4 is also loosely considered a Career District because we're almost equal to them in the number of Victors but it's a very loose term.

The training rooms are below ground level, something I'm not very fond of, but with the speed of these elevators, the ride is less than a minute. The doors open into an vast room filled with various weapons and obstacle courses. Although it's not yet nine o'clock, we're one of the first Districts to arrive. The few tributes are gathered in a tense circle, eyeing each other up and down, sizing each other up. They each have a cloth square with their district number on it pinned to their shirts. While someone pins the number 4 on my back, I do a quick assessment. Districts 1 and 2, 3 and 9 are all present.

As soon as we join the circle, I can feel someone staring at me and turn to find Finn's District partner glaring daggers into my face. I cringe and bite my lip, averting my eyes to look around at the various stations instead. An hour later, everyone is neatly assembled in a circle around a large platform.

The head trainer, a short and relatively slim woman with sleek blonde hair named Techa steps up and begins to explain the training schedule. "In two weeks, 23 of you will be dead. One of you will be alive. Who that is depends on how well you pay attention over the next four days, particularly to what I am going to say. There will be no fighting with the other tributes... you'll have plenty of time for that in the Arena. There are four compulsory exercises, and the rest will be separate. Don't disregard the survival skills. It's all fun and games to grab a sword, but most of you will die from natural causes. Ten percent from infection, twenty percent from dehydration. Exposure to the elements can kill you as easily as a knife.

"Experts in each skill will remain at their stations. You will be free to travel from area to area as you wish, per your mentor's instructions. Some of the stations teach survival skills, others fighting techniques. There are assistants on hand if you want to practice with a partner, so again, no fighting each other."

Then Techa begins to read down the list of the skill stations, and my eyes can't help flitting around to the other tributes. It's the first time we've been assembled in simple clothes. Almost all of the boys and at least three quarters of the girls are all much bigger than my five-foot-four stature. The kids from the wealthier districts are the biggest; the volunteers, the ones who have been fed and trained throughout their lives for this moment. The tributes from 1 and 2. It's technically against the rules to train tributes before they reach the Capitol but it happens every year.

I'm just thinking about the knots that I know when someone bumps into me and I'm, once again, sent flying towards the floor.

An annoying female laugh reaches my ear just as a male hand clears my vision and my eyes dart upward only to meet the ones I'd dreamt of last night.

"Sorry 'bout that, sweetie, didn't mean to startle you." He chuckles mockingly, motioning to his hand again. I ignore it and instead scramble onto my feet and take a step away from him, which causes his eyebrows to raise in question.

"I'm sure you didn't, Two…" I say gruffly. "Doesn't make you any less of an ass for it."

I watch as his cheeks and the tips of his ears turn red in anger but I don't stick around long enough to listen to his outburst; I rush to the nearest station, which just happens to be the Knives station, and attempt to pay attention to that instead of the handsome and angry boy behind me.


	5. Chapter 5

"He said _what_?" Kai chokes beside me, spitting out the mouthful of hot chocolate he had just sipped.

I had regretted making Finn angry as soon as the words had left my lips but I had never expected this to happen… ever. I'm sitting at the dining room table, white as chalk. My eyes and mouth feel frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise, and although I'm staring straight at Mags, I don't notice her at all.

"He wants Livia as an ally… Brutus approached me last night when I was talking a stroll through the Centre." Rieth said, "He was adamant that Finn and Livia become allies."

"No." Magret shakes her head vigorously, "Absolutely not. It's a trap… he'll kill her as soon as the opportunity arises."

"Maybe not." Rieth shrugs, "She may be able to stick with him long enough and then break away and wait for someone else to finish him off…"

"No." Mags reiterates angrily. "She sticks to less harmless tributes or stays alone."

"None of the tributes are going to be harmless, though…" I finally say, looking at Mags as her eyebrows furrow. "We're all vying to stay alive in a Game where only one can come out on top. They would all kill me as soon as look at me when the time comes."

Her face contorts into a mask of pain and I look at Rieth instead to avoid her truthful eyes that remind me so much of my grandmother.

"You have at least another day to decide." Rieth says. "In the meantime… focus on your training, all right?"

I nod. "Kai did well in training yesterday. He beat the instructor at wrestling pretty fairly…"

"What?" Kai laughs. "I beat him _one_ time! It's not that good."

"Bastion applauded you, Kai! If he thinks you're good then I'd say you're doing something right."

Rieth is nodding but Kai won't buy it and instead tries to avert the topic. "Techa says Livia's good with axes and offered to train her personally today…"

Mags smiles, "That's good… but remember-

"Don't linger, I know." Both Kai and I say, trying our best not to sound too exasperated.

"All right then, off you go and we'll see you tonight at dinner to discuss more." Rieth says.

"Where are Alisma and the other's? I haven't seen them since dinner the night before last." Kai asks.

"They've been working on yours and Kai's interview outfits." Mags chuckles. "_They have to be exactly perfect!_"

I laugh and clasp Kai's arm to pull him towards the elevator. "Today will be interesting."

* * *

><p>Two men grunt loudly as they take handfuls of each other's clothing and attempt to wrestle the other to the ground. The short one releases a hand-hold and uses it to start jabbing the other man in the ribs but the taller one quickly releases both hands and grabs the other man's hair, bringing his face down sharply onto his bent knee. Blood flows from the short man's broken nose and he staggers and falls backwards. And that seems to be the end of the little scuffle. Short, violent and bloody.<p>

I'm impressed enough with him to start clapping, earning his gaze. The instructor is escorted away by his assistant but not before giving Finn a very bloody smile and a thumbs-up.

"You enjoy that, Angel?" he asks with a gleaming smile and a voice that can melt butter.

"I think you enjoyed it more than I did." I say casually, "Don't think your instructor enjoyed you breaking his nose one bit…"

Finn laughs loudly, throwing his head back and making the creases by his eyes even deeper. I sense a few of the other tributes staring at us and sigh before turning on my heel and heading for the spear throwing station. The assistant here is a stocky man with the same blue-black hair as Leto and he grins at me – and behind me – as I approach him.

"Hello kids, ready to learn something fun?"

"Sure." I retort. "Enthral me, Sampson."

"You know his name?" Finn asks behind me, closer than I had earlier anticipated which makes me take a step forward.

"He's wearing a tag with his name in bold letters, Finn." I say teasingly. "You can't miss it."

I hear a growl behind me and smile at Sampson as I pick up a lightweight spear and move to the target range. "Show me, Mr Sampson."

After an hour of training Finn and I had lost count of how many spears we'd thrown before we decided we were done.

I check the time on the clock above the Gamemaker's balcony. "We have about two and a half hours before lunch."

That would give us more than enough time to practice with the bo staffs and throwing knives.

"Where do you want to go next?" Finn asks slinging an arm over my shoulder that I quickly shrug off.

"I was thinking we should try something a little different," I smile.

"Like what?"

"Like working with a bo staff…" I point to the station across from the spears and Finn presses his lips together in a tight line. "What?"

"Bo staffs were always the thing I was worst at in the Training Center back home." He finally admits with a sheepish grin and a scratch at the back of his neck.

"Well, there's no harm in practicing, is there?" I chuckle, shoving him in the direction of the station gently.

Finn sighs a little too heavily. "I guess not."

The boy from District 6 has just left when we arrive at the station. His eyes linger a little too long and I feel Finn take a step closer, glaring at the boy in order to try and intimidate him. It works and the blonde headed fiend disappears behind The Gauntlet without as much as a breath our way.

The instructor nods tersely. "Welcome. Pick a staff and make sure it's a little taller than you are."

"That won't be too difficult for you, will it Angel?" Finn smiles, picking up a staff that just about grazes the one inch mark above his six-foot-three height.

My own staff is about five inches taller than me and I bite the inside of my cheek as we take our spots in front of the instructor.

"One important detail to keep in mind," the man says, "is your stance. You don't want your feet to close together, because if someone tries to knock you down, you won't be stable. You need to spread your feet, and bend your knees.

"Remember to plant your feet firmly on the ground." He spreads his legs shoulder width apart and bends his knees before pulling his fists in on either side of his ribs.

We copy him, though I'm a little more relaxed than Finn, and the instructor continues. "This is called a horse stance." Then he puts one leg behind him, so that he's leaning forward a little. "This is called a long stance. It's used a lot more often in battle than the horse stance."

The instructor picks up his own bo staff. "All right, I'm gonna teach you this trick. This applies to different weapons, not just a bo staff. It works with a sword and a spear, too." Finn's face brightens a little as the instructor approaches me.

"Here, hold it like this," he says, more softly, fixing my grip on the staff so that I'm holding it horizontally with my hands spread. He holds his own bo staff the same way, only vertically. "If you're struggling with someone and they're putting all their weight on you…" The instructor pushes his bo staff against mine and I immediately put my left foot behind me to keep myself from falling backwards. "…you'll want to put your weight on the leg that's behind you." The instructor looks down at my feet expectantly. I oblige and put my weight on my back leg.

"You're not trying to push them back, see? You're trying to keep them at bay while they're putting all their weight on you." I nod. "Then afterwards, you can just move out of the way and all the weight they've been putting on you will cause them to just fall over."

The instructor moves away from me and leads us to a large sandbag hanging from the ceiling. "Because the bo staff is light, it gives you mobility. It's easy to maneuver so you can strike from different angles." He turns the bo staff in his palm and strikes the left side of the sandbag, then the right.

Then he steps back and smiles at me. "Give it a shot."

I take up the long stance in front of the sandbag and twist the staff; striking left, right, left again. I decide to take it up a notch and continue to strike, moving around the bag. I turn towards my back leg and strike from behind a couple times. When I'd finally made a full circle, I step back and stab the sandbag with the staff.

I turn and find Finn watching me with raised eyebrows. "You stabbed the bag,"

"Yeah," I grin, straightening up. "Just imagine the bo staff as a spear."

He nods slowly. "Pretty remarkable, Angel." A slow smile forms on his face. "Is that why you wanted to work here?"

"Yes but when I work with the actual spear in the arena, I just have to keep my hands away from the blade."

"You just have to make sure you _get_ one in the arena," Finn says. He's looking over my shoulder so I also turn around to look.

Bastion is back at the spear station. He'd gone from station to station the last two days but he stops at the spears at least once a day.

Finn takes his turn on the sandbag and truth be told, he isn't really that bad, but he isn't spectacular with a bo staff.

The instructor helps him strike from different angles, since that seems to be his biggest issue, as I practice different strikes into thin air. Finn is putting effort into it, but I can tell he just wants to move on so I manage to politely cut their session short and move on to knife throwing.

I'm strangely excited to go to the knife throwing station. If I had to pick my weakness, it would be knife throwing but I really just want to watch Finn. I hadn't seen him in action yet.

There aren't many people at the station, so we jump right in line. The instructor has set up human-shaped targets and a table set with knives of various sizes and shapes.

Finn goes straight to the table and picks out a few knives; a few short ones, a few longer ones. He holds each of them individually to get used to the feel and weight of each knife as the targets all rearrange themselves. I watch him crack his neck from side to side and grin.

Finn throws his knives at each of the targets as they light up one by one. He throws the shorter knives by the blade and the longer ones by the handle – and my best guess is that it's about the weight distribution. Each of them sticks right in the middle of each bull's-eye and he's even able to throw with his arm swinging across the air, like a backhand.

I feel my smile widen. Now that I had seen Finn's hand-to-hand combat and knife throwing skills, I could safely say, without a doubt, that Finn is a force to be reckoned with.

After Finn has used up all the knives - and gotten them in all the various bull's-eyes – I'm up and feeling less than positive about it.

I inhale and accept the knife that the instructor offers me; it's a lightweight knife so I hold it in front of me. I place thumb on the side of the knife and eye the target to find my throwing line, take a half step back and fling my weapon at the target's head. I instantly realize that I've made a huge mistake when my knife wobbles and drops a good foot and a half away from the dummy, causing me to blush. Finn bites his lip to keep from laughing so I punch his gut feebly and turn away.

"Do you want split up until lunch?" I suggest, itching to get away from the instructor's mocking gaze; my target is the Snare-setting station.

"We're sticking together?" he asks with raised eyebrows and a triumphant smile.

"Only until you prove to be too annoying," I say. "Until then I guess we could be allies."

Finn's smile brightens considerably and he nods, bouncing on the balls of his feet excitedly. "This is going to be fun…"

"Who are your other allies?" I ask curiously, glancing back at Aster, his District partner, and Daria who were currently at the Archery station and then to Bastion at the edible plants section.

"Just you and me," he shrugs. "Aster annoys me and I think Daria keeps trying to make sexual advances on me."

I bite my lip to keep from commenting on it and nod, turning from him after promising to see him at lunch.


	6. Chapter 6

When the next day's lunchtime rolls around we all enter the dining room apprehensively. Aster and Daria immediately join Bastion in the corner of the room, closest to the gymnasium doors. They have an air of superiority about them as they sit haughtily glaring at the rest of us if we dare to take one step closer than five feet of their table. Most of the other tributes sit by themselves; Finn and I are the only other people sitting together. There are carts around the room, full of all the proteins, minerals and starch we need to keep ourselves energized and fighting fit.

Finn and I make small talk as we pick at our lunch. Yesterday had been much less tense; our conversation flowed freely but we avoided talking about our families as much as we could, since it brought up painful memories but with a few minutes left of lunch today, our families were all we have left to talk about.

"Are you an only child?" I ask softly, taking a bite from a peach that they've put in the beef stew. It's rich and warm and I'm slightly ashamed to admit that I've had more bowls of it than necessary.

"No, not anymore," Finn mumbles, pushing his peas around the plate. "Thonia's eight years old now."

"I bet she has you wrapped around your finger…"

"Sometimes." Finn stares into his drink. I can see the sadness in his eyes and immediately feel guilty for trying to bring it up.

"You miss her," I note, cocking my head to the side.

"Yeah," he replies. "I helped raise her. I can't imagine never seeing her again."

"I know how you feel." I sigh, thinking about Sedna and Eryn.

"You have siblings?" He frowns at me perplexedly, tearing a piece of the roll he had on his plate and dipping it into the sauce of my stew. "I didn't pin you as a sister-type."

I chuckle, "Thanks."

He grins at me and I chuck my napkin at him, barely missing his ear when he ducks left.

"No, we're not biologically related." I explain with a small shrug. "The girl I volunteered for… I was two when she was born. She's very different from the other children her age. She acts like a six year old because her brain doesn't function properly… Eryn is her only care giver."

"I'm sorry," Finn says in a low voice, staring back into his drink. "It must be awful to watch someone suffer like that."

I can't think of anything to say and I'm almost glad when Daria is called out of the dining room; to the gymnasium for her private session.

Finn looks like a person who rarely gets nervous but I notice his nerves are working overtime now.

"Are you nervous?" he asks, pushing his plate away from him. It's strange that he'd bring it up right after I had thought of it but I shrug it off.

"Not really. Not since I figured out what I'm going to show the Gamemakers. What about you?" I say, copying his motion and resting my chin on my hand.

Finn looks like he's chewing the inside of his cheek and doesn't answer.

"Hey, come on," I try saying sympathetically. "What I saw you do the last couple of days in there was amazing…"

"Yeah?"

I nod "Yeah."

"Thanks." He smiles, "You're pretty amazing too, Angel."

I feel flattered. Finn is very skilled, more skilled than I am, and he had only wanted me as an ally, not any of the other high-district tributes.

The voice calls for the District 1 boy so Bastion rises from his table and struts his way out to the gymnasium.

"What are we gonna do about them?" Finn asks, jerking his head at the door.

"We're gonna have to watch our backs," I say in reply. "I've seen a few glimpses of what they can do. Chances are they'll be the toughest to take down but we'll see what happens after all the scores are announced tonight."

"They're gonna score in the eight to ten range, though," Finn says. "You know it, I know it."

I drum my fingers on the table rhythmically, scowling at my plate. "And this includes you…"

"Probably." He shrugs, before offering me a grin. "You too..."

I give something halfway between a nod and a shrug and I momentarily forget that people consider the Games to be entertainment.

Aster's name is called and she gets up from the table. Finn falls silent. He's up after her.

"Is there any point in trying to convince you to not be nervous?" I wonder aloud. "You're probably the first District 2 boy who's ever looked nervous."

He shakes his head. "I already told you, I'm really critical of myself."

He _had_ told me, just before he had almost poisoned himself today at the edible plants station by trying to put a handful of Daphne berries into his mouth; I had been forced to smack him in the face for his stupidity.

"You don't have a routine or a technique or something to help calm the nerves?" I ask; mine is to run through the knots my mother had taught me over and over until my heart beat has calmed down.

"I just have to keep going through all my training in my head. I've done this a hundred times. If I can just do it like I'm training, I'll be fine." This makes me smile and bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from telling him how similar our methods are.

"Well, at least you're staying somewhat positive," I acknowledge, he grins for only the third time today but it's still as beautiful as the first time I'd seen it.

I glance down at the table and start tracing absentminded patterns onto the surface, humming inconsequential tunes to myself.

Finn suddenly laughs a little and I look up into his eyes. "You're so strange, do you know that?"

I blush and instantly start chewing on my lip, hoping that he won't notice. "All the best people are a little strange."

"You have no idea how true that sounds," he mumbles, pulling my gaze up towards him again. For a moment we just sit there smiling at each other but to me, it feels like much longer. I'd never had eye contact with another person like this before. I wanted to get lost in his eyes. Today they were a soft green, like a sweater that's been washed too many times – meaning that he was happy. I'd noticed all through yesterday that his eyes change color depending on his mood; dark blue for anger or frustration, lighter blue when his face turns sad, green when he's happy.

I'm snapped back to reality when Finn's name is called. He takes a deep breath gets up from the table with one last wink at me before he disappears behind the doors that lead to the gymnasium.

* * *

><p>It feels like hours before my name is called. I don't know how long this private session is supposed to last so since I'm only going to show the Gamemakers one thing, I have to make it count. I can't rush through it.<p>

As soon as I enter the gymnasium, I try and shake off some of my nerves and head towards the spears. I'm faintly aware of how quiet it had suddenly become and I wonder why the Gamemakers are all watching me so intently.

I lift the spear and twirl it in my hand like a bo staff as I step to the platform and position myself in front of one of the sandbags. I inhale and assume my long stance silently before striking to the left, right, left, right again. I turn on my back foot and strike from behind, letting out a heavy huff as the impact resonates through my body.

I even manage throw a few sharp roundhouse kicks and back kicks that I had learned at the Boxing and wrestling stations. Instead of slashing the air, like I'd done before lunch, I decide to slash and stab the sandbag and had to, eventually, move on to the other bags at the station, cutting deep gashes into each of them after a few dozen strikes. Without even thinking, I slash one final gash into the last sandbag at the station, then turn on my back leg, and throw the spear across the gymnasium. It lands right in the middle of the bull's-eye of one of the targets in the spear station.

I swallow breathlessly and blink at it from across the gymnasium. It had been a split-second decision to throw the spear and I don't know why, but I didn't expect it to actually land right in the middle.

"Thank you," I hear this year's Head Gamemaker, Pan De Clare, say. "You may go."

I nod with a small curtsy and leave the gymnasium, heart pounding erratically in my chest. That went by very fast and although I feel proud of what I'd done, I wonder if I had showed them enough.

* * *

><p>I keep glancing at the television screen in our suite all the way through dinner. I know I had done the best I could in my private session, but the Gamemakers still had their final say. Rieth and Mags had question Kai and me about our sessions and both of us merely say that the sessions had gone well, but don't go into great detail around each other. We were, all of a sudden, pawing carefully around each other without a real reason – though I suspect it has to do with my alliance with Finn.<p>

After dinner, Kai, Rieth, Mags, Alisma, Cottyn, Ammon and I all gather around the screen to wait for the scores to be announced.

I pull my knees into my chest and stare at the black space just below the ceiling, fidgeting with my fingers. I am not only nervous for myself, but curious about how Finn had done. After ten minutes of jovial chatter from my companions the screen lights up; colored pixels arrange themselves on the screen and an image slowly forms in the shape of Terra Chlodowech to announce the scores. A hush falls over the room.

"Good evening," Terra says. "Today, the twenty-four tributes had their private sessions with the Gamemakers. The Gamemakers have assessed their abilities after three days in the Training Center, and awarded them a score ranging from one to twelve; one being the weakest score and twelve being the highest."

I can feel Kai perk up in his seat next to me on the couch. He'd come back from his private session all smiles, so he was clearly expecting a high score.

Terra brandishes the sheet of paper she'd gotten from the Gamemakers. "From District 1," she begins, "Bastion Curnow, a score of 10."

Not surprising. He had switched from spears to swords all throughout day two of training. The dummies he practiced on were in pieces at the end of the first two days of training.

"And Daria Lynch, a score of 9."

Once again not very surprising. I didn't really pay attention to her in the Training Center, but she is from District 1. She had been trained to win the Games, just like Finn and Aster.

"From District 2, Finn Decker." I sit up straighter in my seat. "A score of 10."

I let out a breath and see Rieth and Mags nodding approvingly. I had told Mags about Finn's skills, which she had probably relayed to Rieth. She had been reluctant at first but agreed that if he wasn't going to be allying himself with Bastion, aster and Daria then it would maybe help to keep him around.

"Aster Lytton, a score of 8." My eyebrows rise and Reith lets out a surprised chuckle, glancing at me to explain but I just shrug.

"From District 3, Cordin Savoy, a score of 9." District 3 tributes usually never scored this high in training. Despite being a top four district, they never quite had the success that 1, 2, and 4 had. I'm not sure if District 3 even has a Tribute Training Center.

"Dayta Paxton, a score of 5." I try to rack my brain and recall how she did in the Training Center but I can't remember anything about her at all. Everyone who had started talking with each other, ignoring the two previous scores, is quickly shushed by Alisma as Terra smiles at the screen.

"From District 4, Kai Pultz, a score of 9."

We all whoop loudly and Rieth and Ammon clap him on the back. He'd do well in the arena.

"Livia Leith, a score of 10."

I can feel my smile instantly and even go so far as _giggling_ when Mags, Cottyn and Alisma pull me into a tight hug.

"Congratulations, Livia." Kai nods, and pulls me into a gentle hug. I sigh and wrap my arms around him, patting his back until he lets go and smiles distractedly.

After District 4, the scores are pretty mediocre; though a few do score sevens, and the female tribute from 12 manages an eight.

For the most part, the scores are there to see where each tribute ranks in terms of survival. Those with higher scores had more sponsors. Sometimes, the scores are just a way of showing how likely they were to be killed. Tributes with higher scores are targeted first, since they are regarded as threats, but a group of tributes that scores 9's and 10's are pretty deadly. This could only mean that Finn and I were going to die very quickly or survive until we would have to try and kill each other in order to go back home.

And for the first time since I'd met him, I'm afraid of entering the arena with Finn Decker.


End file.
